Caper Bush: Botany and Horticulture

First report of caper (Capparis spinosa) serious infestation by Eurydema eckerleini in Cyclades Islands, Greece (Hemiptera: Heteroptera, Pentatomidae)

“…The flowering period is from May to July (-September). The fruit is ellipsoid, ovoid with a thin pericarp (Sozzi 2001).…”

“…Caper, as a member of Capparaceae (Brassicales), is closely related, on the basis of molecular and morphological analysis, to the members of the Brassicaceae (Sozzi 2001;Hall et al 2002;Bremer et al 2009;iltis et al 2011), to which the host plants of the other two Eurydema species (E. ventralis, E. spectabilis) belong. Bioactive secondary metabolites (glucosinolates) are abundant in crucifers as well as in caper species (Kiddle et al 2001;Bor et al 2009;Argentieri et al 2012;Bianco et al 2012;lansky 2014).…”

“…Caper is one of the few perennial shrubs that grow and flower entirely during summer (Sozzi 2001). It possesses many adaptations that enable it to survive in arid environments such as that of the Cyclades.…”

“…It possesses many adaptations that enable it to survive in arid environments such as that of the Cyclades. The caper bush can withstand temperatures above 40ºC in the summer (Sozzi 2001), as well as combat desertification (Sakcali et al 2008;Suleiman et al 2009). This is achieved by the extension of the root system downward to a depth of up to 20 m in order to reach subsoil water (Rhizopoulou & Kapolas 2015) and horizontally in order to maximize access to rainfall water (Sozzi 2001).…”

“…The caper bush can withstand temperatures above 40ºC in the summer (Sozzi 2001), as well as combat desertification (Sakcali et al 2008;Suleiman et al 2009). This is achieved by the extension of the root system downward to a depth of up to 20 m in order to reach subsoil water (Rhizopoulou & Kapolas 2015) and horizontally in order to maximize access to rainfall water (Sozzi 2001). This characteristic is supported by a high hydraulic conductivity achieved by highly specialized conducting tissue, both in roots and stems, along with the presence of thick, amphistomatous and highly photosynthetically efficient leaves (Rhizopoulou et al 1997;Sozzi 2001;Rhizopoulou & Psaras, 2003;Sakcali et al 2008;gan et al 2013).…”